ABUJA — The political gamble of jumping ship from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has backfired heavily for several lawmakers, signaling a turbulent road to the 2027 general elections.
As the APC concluded its fiercely contested House of Representatives and Senatorial primaries across the country, sweeping structural purges have left about 70 incumbent members of the 10th National Assembly without return tickets.
Among the most dramatic casualties is Donatus Mathew, the former commercial motorcycle operator turned federal lawmaker, whose political fairy tale dissolved over the weekend in the rugged terrain of ruling party politics.
From Grace to Grassroots Backlash
Mathew, who shook the nation in 2023 by riding on the “Obi wave” to clinch the Kaura Federal Constituency seat in Kaduna State under the Labour Party (LP), suffered a crushing defeat in the APC primaries. He managed to secure a meager 255 votes, while his direct opponent comfortably pocketed 1,085 votes.
Born in 1988 in Kpak, Kagoro Chiefdom, Mathew’s initial victory was widely heralded as a historic triumph for ordinary Nigerians. Armed with a philosophy degree from Saint Albert Institute but surviving as an Okada rider due to harsh economic realities, he defeated a deeply entrenched four-term incumbent by polling 10,508 votes.
However, his political fortunes shifted dramatically in December 2024 when he, alongside three other LP reps, dumped the opposition bench for the APC, citing internal leadership crises within the Labour Party.
”I am taking this decision based on conviction,” Mathew defended his defection at the time, acknowledging the skepticism of his voter base. “Whether you like it or not, there are people within the constituency who are convinced that it is the right decision.”
Evidently, the electorate and party delegates thought otherwise. Analysts note that his exit from the LP was widely perceived as a betrayal of the organic grassroots movement that funded and propelled his penniless 2023 campaign into national prominence.
A Graveyard for Defectors
Mathew’s fate was mirrored across several state delegations, exposing the brutal reality that defectors face when trying to infiltrate entrenched, highly transactional ruling party structures.
Several high-profile former Labour Party federal lawmakers who switched allegiance to the APC also had their fingers severely burnt at the polls:
- Hon. Esosa Iyawe, who famously defected alongside Mathew, lost his ticket for the Oredo Federal Constituency in Edo State to Dr. Paddy Iyamu.
- Senator Neda Imasuen (Edo South) failed to secure a return ticket.
- Hon. Tochukwu Okere (Imo State), Hon. Bassey Akiba (Cross River), and Hon. Daulyop Fom (Plateau) all fell by the wayside in their respective primary contests.
Incumbent Heavyweights Dislodged
The internal purge within the APC did not spare lifelong party loyalists and top legislative executives either. Nationwide discontent, shifting local dynamics, and the rejection of consensus candidates have shaken the configuration of the incoming 11th National Assembly.
With the APC currently controlling 242 seats in the House of Representatives and 88 in the Senate, this massive attrition rate underscores a restless electorate and aggressive local party factions determined to reset the status quo ahead of 2027.
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For Mathew and his fellow defectors, the outcome serves as a sobering lesson in contemporary Nigerian politicking: a party ticket won on the streets is easily lost in the boardroom.
